To Ask For Assistance
by ShougiKnight
Summary: Luce is nine-months pregnant and still refuses to ask for help. Can Reborn change her mind and teach her the purpose of having guardians? Reborn x Luce. Cavity-inducing fluff. You'll love it. For Reidluver.
1. Pedicure

It was a nicely furnished room; two small table lamps illuminated the comfortable space with a warm rosy light. The walls were made of natural wood and werecarefully hung with light pink curtains, embroidered with rosettes. The occupant was obviously well versed in the variouswomanly arts. A large bed dominated the center of the room**; **plush and inviting in light pinks and creams, the many decorative pillows scattered on and around the bed, as there were too many to stay on properly while there was someone sitting on top of the bed.

Luce leaned forward on her bed, attempting to reach over her swollen midriff. She sighed deeply; it certainly wasn't easy being this pregnant. She glanced over at the vanity mirror across the room, eyeing her stomach. Nine months pregnant…for three years now. Being an Arcobaleno sure was more trouble than it was worth sometimes.

'No, I shouldn't think like that. It's what I was meant to do, I shouldn't be so pessimistic.' Luce smiled to herself and winced in discomfort as the baby, a little girl she was sure of it, kicked and caught her spleen with what seemed to be a heel. She'd be a strong one, that's for sure…though that didn't make _her _any more comfortable through it all.

As she leaned her head back against the padded, floral headboard and gently closed her eyes**,** there was a soft knock at the door. She called out softly for them to come in.

Reborn carefully pushed the door open and stuck his head in, dipping his hat lower over his eyes in respect.

"I apologize for intruding, Boss, but I have a few matters of business to discuss with you." He stepped in and glanced at her with steely eyes from under his fedora.

Luce opened one eye and smiled slightly. "Of course, Reborn-san, when is it _not_ business with you?" She chuckled weakly and leaned her head back again, breathing shallow.

"If you aren't strong enough, you should be resting." Reborn gave her a stern look.

She merely waved her hand in response. "Now now, it's not as if I'm not used to it by now." She lightly picked up a handkerchief from the bedside table and dabbed the sweat from her forehead with it.

Reborn raised an eyebrow, "You're over-exerting yourself again." He stated, lecturing her subtly, the corners of his mouth dropping into a frown. "You said that you would be sure to ask for help if you needed it."

Luce chuckled breathily. "Of course, how silly of me, I should have called for you. Come." She gently patted the coverlet next to her. "Have a seat. I have something to request of my strongest guardian."

Reborn smirked, tipping his fedora again. "It shouldn't take my offering for you to ask for help, Luce. You realize, of course, that _that_ would be what you have guardians for." He seemingly floated over to the bed and sat down. "Now, what is it that caused my lovely boss to sweat?"

Luce chuckled yet again, a sincere smile reaching her eyes. "Oh my, Reborn, you shouldn't ask things that you don't want to know the answer to."

She grabbed his hand, faced it upward, and placed a small bottle of rose pink nail polish in the center of his palm. "Since you're here, I need help painting my toes. My stomach is too big for me to reach them properly and I'd rather not make a mess of it." Her eyes crinkled up at the corners as she smiled warmly at him

Reborn's eyes narrowed menacingly at the small pink bottle as he tipped it toward the light and a small shimmer of pink glitter reflected onto the shadowed portion of his face. He lifted his head and stared levelly at Luce, who was smiling warmly at him, obviously amused by the conflicting emotions that only she could see in his expressionless face.

She delicately extended a slightly swollen foot, the circulation being cut off due to being with child, and lightly placed it on his thigh, feeling his muscle twitch with the unexpected contact. She quirked a half smile at him again, tilting her head charmingly and stretched out a little more.

"If you could also be kind enough to give me a foot rub, you may just find that I made your favorite cookies for you to have with your espresso at breakfast."

Her eyes were laughing at him again, sparkling in the warm light. Reborn's lips tightened into what would be perceived as a threatening visage. "The lotion is on the bedside table." She tilted her head toward the small flowery scented bottle of lotion.

Reborn paused before letting a tiny resigned sigh escape his lips. He stood and walked the two steps to the table against the wall, indulging her with the small show of emotion.

Standing near the head of the bed, he slid a cool hand behind the woman's neck. She melted into his touch as he lifted her shoulders off the headboard. Picking up one of the larger pillows he carefully slid it behind her back before lowering her once again. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead softly, causing her eyes to flutter shut briefly and her cheeks to flush slightly. He turned his face away to hide his smile at his small victory and, taking up the small bottle of lotion, took his seat at the end of the bed.

Tilting his head up to glance at her from the shadows of his hat**,** he used one hand to lift her foot. Seeming to be reluctant, he opened the bottle and poised the tiny brush, loaded with pink glitter above her toes. Fully tilting his head toward her smile, the shadows retreated from his face, he yet again allowed himself a small, indulgent smile, causing her to blush deeper.

When he spoke, his voice had grown low and rough. "You realize, of course, that bringing your cookies into this conversation could very well be considered blackmail, Luce."

"Dark chocolate mocha with almond chips?" Luce lifted an elegant eyebrow.

Reborn allowed a breathy chuckle to escape from his mouth, "Now now, no need to rub it in.…I can't believe you're making me wait until breakfast.


	2. Girl Scout Cookies

Hey, all. This is just a secondary fluff chapter I wrote. Its…not really written, just the sketch. But I figured that I'd dump it as is and get it out of my 'pending Fan-fictions' folder. It's just me practicing keeping the Arcobaleno's dialogue in character. It was easier than I thought though. Enjoy!

Viper, what do you think, Kora? How much would Luce's cookies sell for, Kora!

Hmm… the chocolate chip ones are definitely marketable. Hell, even her experimental ones that Skull requests are marketable.

How much would they go for, though?

Which country's currency are we calculating this by?

Skull (walks in) MAN WHAT I WOULDN'T DO FOR ONE OF LUCE'S MINT COOKIES RIGHT NOW!

Reborn and Colonello look at each other. *slight raise of eyebrow*

*momentary pause while Skull trips over the lime green, smiling, floor mat*

Viper: …or assuming they could be used as a form of currency themselves….

Colonello: How would we figure that out, Kora?

Luce walks in, Fon bows slightly and smiles. "I notice your toes are done up again, did you have a relaxation day, Luce-sama?"

Luce chuckles, "No, just a pedicure."

Lal "Tch, a pedicure? Really..." *folds arms and looks aside*

Viper. "there's good money in assisted relaxation practices. The swiss have had the right idea for centuries"

Lal "there can't POSSIBLY be /that/ much money in it."

Verde looks up from blueprints on the coffee table across the room. "In studies of pedicures, on a scale of one to ten, if the satisfaction or relaxation level in the five to nine the pedicure usually costs around 60 to 75 dollars, for a mediocre pedicure with a satisfaction-relaxation level in the zero to 4 range the costs cuts in half and averages 35 to 40 dollars. Top satisfaction pedicures run about 150, but to score a ten is rare."

Lal. "…you and your foot fetish, verde." *shudders and curls feet under her chair, crossing her ankles*

Colonello. "Now you're sitting like a /real/ lady, KORA!"

Lal *punches at him*

Colonello *catches punch and chuckles*

Reborn *rolls eyes at them* "Get a room."

Viper. "Let's figure this in terms of satisfaction then. How many of Luce's cookies does it take before one is satisfied?"

Luce. "is that what you all are talking about?" eyes crinkle in amusement, "really you all are too kind."

Viper. "*cough* Y-yes, well. I am not, particularly being kind, I am talking marketability. Luce, I suppose you would know best. What is the average amount of cookies one would eat before being fully satisfied?"

Luce. "You mean in exchange for a pedicure?"

Viper. "Yes, that seems to be the preferred scale this morning. Where on the scale would the pedicure you received last night fall, approximately?"

Luce smiled pleasantly, "Oh it was definitely a ten. I've never had a better pedicure."

Viper raised an eyebrow. "you really are TOO kind sometimes, Luce. But for lack of a better number, we'll go with that."

Luce puts a hand to her cheek and chuckles.

Viper "So again, what is the average amount of cookies one would eat before being fully satisfied?"

Luce tapped her chin and tilted her head. "Well, skull eats the most, he can eat ten of my biggest cookies before complaining of a stomachache no matter how much I remind him to slow down. Whereas Fon is fully satisfied after a single cookie."

Viper. "Who is the median then?"

Luce giggled and turned to Reborn, seeing only his fedora and jawline from her standing position.

"How many cookies did you eat with your espresso this morning, Hitman-san?"

Reborn tilted his head angularly as one eye shone from the darkness under his fedora. His eye glinting dangerously at the near revelation of the origin of Luce's pedicure.

His voice was low and rough. "Am I to assume that I am the median then?"

Viper snapped from across the table. "That should be fairly obvious wouldn't you think?"

"Twelve."

Everyone's head lifted and looked at the hitman in surprise.

Luce giggled "All right then, twelve of my biggest cookies are equal to a level ten pedicure."

Reborn's hat dipped once again, shading his face from sight as per usual, but not before luce caught a faint glimpse of a blush behind his wonderfully curly sideburns. He leaned back on his chair and folded his arms, seemingly relaxed.

Viper was busy flipping beads on an abacus. "So if we could sell the cookies at approximately fifteen dollars a cookie, subtracting the cost of materials we would still make over twelve dollars of profit per cookie."

Fon walked back to the table, from where he had been listening from the kitchen, with a cup of hot tea. "But who would pay fifteen dollars for a cookie?"

Viper. "We'd need a convincing marketing strategy. Who would you be most likely to buy overpriced cookies from?"

Fon. "Well, I suppose that everyone has troubles saying no to young girls."

Viper. "That is definitely true. They seem to be inborn with the puppy-dog eye ability. It's quite formidable."

Fon chuckles. "A veritable army of small girls selling overpriced cookies? That sounds fairly dangerous."

Colonello. "They need a strong name, Kora! Like-"

Skull interrupts "GIRL SCOUTS!"

Reborn snorts. "that's the worst name I've ever heard. It'll never stick."

Luce put a hand on Reborn's shoulder. "I don't know, I kind of like it."

The shadow under reborn's fedora darkened.

Viper nodded. "All right, girl scouts it shall be."

Naming of the cookies. Skull isn't allowed to swear at his video games anymore. Reborn will shoot his controller and he can't afford any more.

What should we name these minty ones?

(skull from other room) …AWWW GRASSHOPPERS!

*luce chuckles and writes it down* ….*reborn sighs and lets her*

And the peanut butter ones?

(skull) *punched* D'OH *punched again; hisses* SHI! *announcer: K'Oed* D'OH! *flings controller across room*

*all look at luce in shock as she writes it down anyway*

Reborn sighs in exasperation.

Author's note:

As far as Girl Scout cookies go all you need to know is that the Mint ones are Grasshoppers and the Peanut Butter ones are Do-Si-Dos. Also, they're too expensive in my opinion.


End file.
